Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 320 pages
- Published by: Focal Press; Bk&CD edition August 15, 2001
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0240516222
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0240516226
-
Book Dimensions:
9.7 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
- Weighs: 2.2 pounds
Product Review
"Angie has a knack for demystifying the intricacies of After Effects and coming up with creative uses of the features."
Steve Kilisky, Senior Product Manager, After Effects, Adobe Systems Inc.
"Angie Taylor is the best After Effects teacher I know. She goes beyond technical descriptions of features, and shows you how best to use them in real-world projects."
Bruce Bullis, Senior API Engineer, Adobe Dynamic Media, Adobe Systems Inc.
"This book takes you on a roller coaster ride through the world of creating animation and special effects with Adobe After Effects. It is much more than just a
software manual, Angie Taylor seeks to stimulate the creative use of computer animation. Complex technical issues are clearly and concisely explained, making it suitable for beginners and the more advanced users. Creative After Effects is the ideal companion for all students of computer animation and motion graphics."
Birgitta Hosea, Course Director, London Animation Studio, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London.
Angie Taylor's work is inspired. She is a highly creative animator - inventive, witty and naturally sympathetic to individual programme's styles.
Carys Edwards, Director, Children's BBC
'This book has an inventive approach to developing the creative skills of the reader. The upshot being that, whilst working through the book, readers actually create their own unique work that they can add to their portfolio, rather than spending time with unoriginal exercise material that they can't use.'
DIGIT magazine
'There's nothing more frustrating than devising the perfect solution to a design brief and then not knowing how to fully realise it. If you want to be able to create eye-catching motion graphics then "Creative After Effects 5.0" by Angie Taylor should be the answer this is the book all After Effects users have been waiting for - written by an animator for animators. Taylor has obviously thoroughly researched her subject, and engages the reader with her personal approach. The book is well designed with clear, easy-to-follow instructions, and plenty of screen grabs. It will soon have even a complete beginner enthused and ready to create their own sequences.
What's different to other manuals is the lack of the usual 'do this, then this, to get this' feel. For technophobes like me, it allows - indeed insists on - the reader having fun in creating sequences and anticipates when you may come unstuck with uncanny accuracy.
The free CD (Mac and PC) is full of goodies, including some great technical guides and links. Taylor has included demo versions of the software, and all related files necessary to complete the tutorials.
It's great for those of you who already use After Effects to improve your skills, and via the associated Web site share hints and tips for an easier life. While it doesn't cover everything - and couldn't - it certainly gives the best grounding possible in comparison to other books available.
Macworld's buying advice: I defy anyone in computer animation and motion graphics not to benefit from this great book.'
Kerry Cathro, Macworld magazine (this book was awarded a Macworld 5-Star rating ***** as a result of this review)
'The book is designed as a course in After Effects 5.0 and is accompanied by a CD-ROM with all the files needed to complete the tutorials. There is also an associated website with information and help from other After Effects users.'
Dope Sheet the ASIFA UK magazine
'your knowledge of After Effects will be enhanced by the book. Enjoyable read. Rich chapters on Time, Tracking and Type Buy Angie's book. No question. Buy it.'
David Bogie, review for CreativeCOW.net --
Review
Product Review
"Angie has a knack for demystifying the intricacies of After Effects and coming up with creative uses of the features."
Steve Kilisky, Senior Product Manager, After Effects, Adobe Systems Inc.
"Of all the After Effects books I looked at whilst trying to learn it, I found Angie's was the most easy to use and creative."
Chris Cunningham - director of music videos, commercials and video art
"Angie is the best After Effects teacher I know. She goes beyond technical descriptions of features, and shows you how best to use them in real-world projects."
Bruce Bullis, Senior API Engineer, Adobe Dynamic Media, Adobe Systems Inc.
"The ideal companion for all students of computer animation and motion graphics."
Birgitta Hosea, Course Director, London Animation Studio, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London.
"Angie Taylor's work is inspired. She is a highly creative animator - inventive, witty and naturally sympathetic to individual programme's styles."
Carys Edwards, Director, Children's BBC
"An inventive approach, readers create their own unique work to add to their portfolio, rather than unoriginal exercise material that they can't use."
DIGIT magazine
"Gives the best grounding possible. I defy anyone in computer animation and motion graphics not to benefit from this great book."
Kerry Cathro, Macworld magazine (this book was awarded a Macworld 5-Star rating)
"Your knowledge of After Effects will be enhanced by this book. Enjoyable read. Rich chapters on Time, Tracking and Type. Buy Angie's book. No question."
David Bogie, CreativeCOW.net
Reader ReviewsAngie's instructional materials and projects will definitely help you learn how to begin using AE5's 3 major new features: 3D, Expressions, and Parenting. Tracking and keying get thorough treatments. She also offers some background in the history and craft of animation as well as advice on how to nurse a project through the creative mill from concept, storyboard, client pitch, and revisions. The work is not without flaws but, compared to the other After Effects resources in print, this is a valuable book to have on your shelf, in my opinion. I enjoyed it very much. I've got every AE resource in print, I think. Two or three of them were complete wastes of paper and you can probably find my opinions of them ... For beginners, I always recommend Adobe's CIB for AE5. After slogging thru those projects either Angie's book or Creative Motion Graphics would beq worthy followup. For the advanced power user, there is no question that the Meyer's two books are THE standard reference pieces. For additional inspiration, another approach to effects design, and some lighthearted whimsy, Angie's book comes in a decent third place. You can see an extensive review of Angie Taylor's After Effects 5.0 book that I have written at ... david bogie, boise ID